
Gable Steveson will not compete at CJI 2.
A person with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Steveson is out of his scheduled grappling match with Craig Jones at the second CJI card for undisclosed reasons. The two-day event is scheduled for Aug. 30 and 31 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The promotion states the reason for Steveson’s scratch is due to “turf toe,” but that hasn’t been officially confirmed from Steveson’s side. No word on whether or not Jones will
still compete at the event.
Currently, Steveson is preparing for his MMA debut. The Olympic gold medalist is scheduled to face Braden Peterson at LFA 217, which is set for Sept. 12 from Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn. The 2020 Olympic gold medalist finally puts the MMA gloves on after a storied collegiate wrestling career, which includes two national championships, two Dan Hodge Trophy wins, and five All-American nods. Steveson recently was part of the WWE developmental system before being released in May 2024.
The matchup was expected to be Jones’ final professional match, and is also moving on from being the head man of B-Team Jiu-Jitsu.
“Me? I am out of here,” Jones said in a YouTube video in July. “I’ve got one competition match left, B-Team is done and I will be leaving America. … After Aug. 31, I don’t know what I’m doing, but you will not see me again.”